Elevator



Patented Nov. 19, 1929 than? rnomas L. ooLEmAN, or LOS anennns, camroraua ELEVATOR I Application filed November 28, 1927. Serial No. 236,191;

This invention relates to elevators of the type used for raising and lowering strings of sucker rods, pump tubing and well casing and one important object of the invention is. reliability in the clamping action upon the member that is to be raised or lowered.

Another object is simplicity of construction.

The commonly used types of gate or latch elevators for raising and lowering strings of casing and the like in oil wells have straight walle bores so. that the elevator slides along the casing until it comes against the lower edge of the nearest collar or 5 coupling which, as is well known, is of larger external diameter than the pipe or casing.

Thus, the uppermost collar or coupling of the string supports the entire weight of the string and this weight becomes very great in deep wells as the string of easing nears completion. It has been found that in many instances the weight of the string of casing brings too great a strain upon the collar that supports the load entailing stripping or pulling off of the shrew threads of the collar and/0r casing. This results in serious dam a e to the well from dropping of the string 0 casing. l

This invention avoids the above mentioned difiiculty as it enables the casing, or other member that is being raised or lowered, to be securely gripped at some oint between the collars so that the load 0 the string of casing will not come upon any of the collars.

To accomplish the objects'of this invention, the bore wall is tapered so as toform a conical ring. Into this conical ring are set' catches or slips, whose outer faces are tapered longitudinally so that when the slips 40 are assembled in place they will fitsnugly together in the ring and grip. the casing or other member evenly in a circle. The inner faces of the slips are provided with teeth or ridges to more securely engage the casing or other member.

The shape of the slips in horizontal section will be determined by the number of slips employed. If two are to be used, they will be shaped so that, when in gripping position in the elevator, the serrated faces w1ll ployed, the slips, when closed around the casing, will form an exact circle just the diameter of the casing and the slips will be of exactly the same width so that, for example, if three slips are employed, each slip will constitute a one-third segment of a circle.

A construction embodying three slips is probably the more preferable and more than. four slips would not be very practical.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Figure 1 is a plan View of an elevator constructed in. accordance with the provisions I of this invention, the latch gate being shown is 1 in closed position.

Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line indicated by 2--2,Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmental sectional detailillustrating the means for yieldingly holding the slip inwardly against the casing and part of the adjustable connection between the slip and ring.

Figure 4 is a fragmental elevation from the pnehindicated by 4-4, Figure 1, showing the atc I 7 Referring to the drawings, the elevator comprises a body 6 and a latch or gate 7 which together constitute a ring. The body 6' and gate 7 arerelatively movable being, in this so instance, hingedly connected at 8. The inner faces of the body 6 and gate 7 are approximately semi-circular as indicated at 9, 10, re

-'spectively. The body 6 const tutes a littlev more thanhalf of the circle and the gate 7 as a little less than half and for this reason, the

body 6 is provided with a short face 11 that is tangentlalto the face 9 so that when the gate 7 is open, the elevator can be slipped on and 011' of the casing or other member that 100 is to be handled by the elevator, such a casing or other member being indicated in broken lines at A in Figure 2.

The body 6 may, if desired, be provided with laterally PIOJGCtlDg lugs 12 for attachment of the hoisting cable in a manner well understood in this art. A suitable means s provided to prevent openingof the gate 7 cepting when it is desired to place the elevator on or remove it from the casing or other memher A and these means are indicated, in genera], by the character 13 and will be described more in detail, althou 11 it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to use of the particular means described.

The faces 9, are downwardly and inwardly tapered, and adapted to be supported by said faces are slips 14, 15, respectively, said slips having downwardly and inwardly tapered faces to correspond with the tapered faces 9, 10. The inner faces of the slips are substantially vertical and are preferably pro vided with teeth or ridges 16 which are arranged horizontally or transversely of the inner faces of the slips.

when no weight is imposed on them, y coil springs 17 which are positioned in 5 ring chambers 18 provided in the body 6 an gate 7. The springs 17 are preferably positioned so as to tend to thrust the slips 14, upwardly, when there is no load on them, so that said springs will cause sufiicient friction between the tubular member And the slips to efiect downward motion of the slips with t-he tubular member, thus to carry the slips into engagement with the faces 9,10 so as to wedge said sli s inwardly into still firmer engagement with the tubular member A. 7 All of this takes place when the gate 7 is in closed position. The springs 17 are ositioned' aslant upwardly and inwardly an accordingly, the chambers 18 extend 'aslant upwardly and inwardly. The outer ends of the chambers 18 are closed by spring seats 19 which are adjustably mounted in the chambers 18. In this instance, the 3 ring seats 19 are in the form of lugs whic 1 are screw threaded into the cham ers 18 so as to be adjustable toward and from the slips. On the upper ends of the springs 17 rest bosses 20 which extend aslant downwardly and outwardly from the slips 14, 15 to correspond to the slant of the springs 17. It will be clear that the springs 1- may be more or less com ressed by screwing the plugs 19 inwar ly'or outwardly.

The bosses 20 project into the upper ends of the chambers 18 and, conse uently, said bosses and the walls of said cham ers constitute one The slips are wider 'at their upper ends than at their lower ends form of means for'preventing relative rotation between the slips and the body, and gate.

Provisions is made for loosely attaching the slips to the bod 6 and gate 7 so as to prevent accidental disp acement of the slips from the body and gate andconsequent liability to loss of the same. A further important advantage of the anchoring means is that thereby the slips will be prevented from being dragged upwardly by the tubular member A, when said tubular member is raised for the purpose of disengaging it from the elevator The anchoring means. in this instance, are constructed as follows: Flexible members 21 such for example, as chains are secured to the bosses 20 and extend through the springs 17 and are attached .at their outer ends to the spring seats 19. These flexible members 21 will be sufficiently long to permit of the slips being contracted until they substantially meet in a circle.

In the instanceshown in the drawings, see Figure3 inparticular, one end of each flexible member 21 is welded or otherwise secured at 22 in a socket 23 of a plug 24 that is screw threaded into a socket 25 in the boss 20. The other end of each flexible member 21 is welded or otherwise secured at 26 in a socket 27 of the plug 19.

The means 13 heretofore referred to for preventing opening'of the gate 7 may be any suitable form of latch and, in this instance, said means is constructed as follows: The body 6 is provided with a recess 28 and with a slot 29 opening into saidrecess, said slot being narrower than the recess 28 so as to form lugs 30 at the opposite sides of the slot 29. A Tshaped latch member 31 is adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with the recess 28, being for that purpose pivoted at 32 to the gate 7 When the head 33 of the member 31 is in the recess 28, an effort to open the gate will cause engagement-of the head 33 with the lugs30, thus to prevent said gate opening. The latch member 31 is provided with a handle 34 for convenient operation of said latch member, wherebythe head 33 may be readily moved into and'out of the recess 28. There is nothing new in this form of latch, and it is merely shown here and described as a typical latch for releasably holding the gate 7 in closed position.

The general manner of use of elevators of this type is well understood in the art relating thereto and, accordingly, it is only necessary here to describe the'operation of the elevator in applying it to and removing it from the casing or other member that is'to be supported by the'elevator. It may be assumed, for example, that the gate 7 is closed and that the latch 13 is en aged with the body 6 so as to securely hol the gate 7 in closed position, as in Figure 2. In said Figure 2, the tubular member A, that is to be held by the elevator, has not yet forced the slips 14, 15 into wedging engagement with the body 6 and gate 7 as said member A is supported by another elevator and tackle. As the member A is lowered, the friction between it and the slips 14, 15 forces said slips downwardly into engagement with the conical faces 9, 10 against the pressure of the springs 17, thus wedging said slips inwardly into a firm grip upon the member A. To release the elevator, the hoisting tackle will be operated to take the weight off of the slips 14, 15 and then the latch'13 will be released and the gate 7 opened, thus moving the slip 15 away from the member A.

I claim:

. 1. An elevator comprising a body, a gate, a means to releasably secure the gate in closed position, the inner faces of the body and gate being approximately semi-circular and downwardly and inwardly tapered, slips, the outer faces of the slips tapered to respectively fit the tapered faces of the'bodyand gate, the inner faces of the slips provided with teeth, and springs mounted in the body and gate and bearing upwardly and inwardly against the slips.

2. An elevator comprising a body, a gate, a means to releasably secure the gate in closed position, the inner faces of the body and gate being approximately semi-circular and downwardly and inwardly tapered, slips, the outer faces of the slips tapered to respectively fit the tapered faces of the body and gate, the inner faces of the slips provided with teeth, springs mounted in the body and gate and bearing against the slips to yieldingly hold said slips inwardly, and means loosely connecting the respective slips to the body and gate to limit upward motion of the slips relative to said body and gate.

3. An elevator comprising a body, a gate, a means to releasably secure the gate in closed position, the inner faces of the body and gate being approximately semi-circular and downwardly and inwardly tapered, slips, the outer faces of the slips tapered to respectively fit the tapered faces of the body and gate, the inner faces of the slips provided with teeth, springs mounted in the body and gate and bearing against the slips to yieldingly hold said slips inwardly, and flexible members .of Nov., 1927.

on the slips projecting into the inner ends of the springs.

5. An elevator comprising a body, a gate, a means to releasably secure the gate in closed position, the inner faces of the body and gate being approximately semi-circular and downwardly and inwardly tapered, slips, the outer facesv of the slips tapered to respectively fit the tapered faces of the body and gate, the inner faces of the slips provided with teeth, chambers in the body and gate, plugs screwed into said chambers, springs seating on the plugs and bearing inwardly against the slips, andflexible members secured to the plugs and passing through the springs and secured to the slips.

6. An elevator comprising a body, a gate, a means to releasably secure the gate in closed position, the inner faces of the body and gate being approximately semi-circular and downwardly and inwardly tapered, slips, the outer faces of the slips tapered to respectively fit the tapered faces of the body and gate, and spring means in the body and gate yieldingly forcing the slips upwardly and inwardly.

7. An elevator comprising a body, a gate, a means to releasably secure the gate in closed position, the inner faces of the body and gate being approximately semi-circular and downwardly and inwardly tapered, slips, the outer faces of the slips tapered to respectively fit the tapered faces of the body and gate, and spring means in the body and gate yieldingly supporting the slips and yieldingly urging the lower ends of the slips inwardly.

Signed at Los Angeles, Calif, this 22 day THOMAS L. COLEMAN.

passing through the springs and connected with the slips and connected respectively with the body and gate.

4. An elevator comprising a body, a gate, a means to releasably secure the gate in closed position, the inner faces of the body and gate being approximately semi-circular and downwardly and inwardly tapered, slips, the outer faces of the slips tapered to respectively fit the tapered, faces of the body and gate, the inner faces of the slips provided with teeth, springs mounted in the body and gate, and downwardly and outwardly projecting bosses 

